To promote a prosperous and happy Tai'an

中国·泰安

TAI’AN,CHINA

2012

Just as Confucius said,“It is delightful to have friends coming

from afar!” I welcome friends from home and abroad to travel and

invest in Tai’an and thank for your support on behalf of Tai’an and

its 5.6 million residents.

Lying at the southern foot of Mount Tai, Tai’an, in East China’s

Shandong province, borders Jinan, the capital of the province in the

north, Qufu, the hometown of Confucius in the south, Linyi in the

east, and the Yellow River in the west. With a unique competitive

edge, the city has gained many laurels, such as the Renowned

History and Culture City of China, Excellent Chinese Tourism City,

National Hygienic City, National Garden City, National Double-

Support Model City and Top 100 Cities with Best Investment

Environment in China.

The name Tai’an is derived from Mount Tai and the old idiom

“the peace of Mount Tai ensures peace of the whole country”,

implying that “the country is prosperous and its people live in

peace”. Mount Tai ranks first among the five sacred mountains in

the country and was included in the World Natural and Cultural

Heritage list by UNESCO in 1987. It has been a source of

inspiration for Chinese artists and scholars and a symbol of ancient

Chinese civilization and faith.

Tai’an has a sound business environment and its fast

development makes it a land of opportunity for many investors.

With superior geographic location, the city features beautiful

natural environment, abundant mineral resources, convenient

transportation, integrated university science and research institutes,

culture-oriented tourism, high capacity of industry accept and

support and high efficient government. Based on its hospitality

and honesty, the city is boosting its profile as “the capital of peace

and harmonious Tai’an” and pursuing the goal “to enrich residents

and the city to build a happy Tai’an”. It is open to the world and

welcomes friends from at home and aboard to travel and invest!

Wish soundness friendship and a better tomorrow!

Wish you good health and all the best!

Li Hongfeng, secretary of the Tai’an Municipal Committee of the CPC

Wang Yunpeng, mayor of Tai’an Municipal People’s Government

致辞 PREFACE

General Introduction/10History

Geography and Nature

Population

Administration

Economic Development/20Overall Strength

Industry

Agriculture

Services

Society construction/30People’s Livelihood

Science and Education

Health and Sports

Transport and-

Communication

Culture Development/46Cultural Industry

Cultural facilities

Urban Construction/56Opening-up/64Opening-up

Tai’an High-Tech Industrial Zone

Travel in Tai’an/74Scenic Spots

Tourist Projects

Colorful Festivals

目

录

CO

NTEN

TS

Shiba Pan of Mount Tai

The Sun is rising in the east

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

市情概况＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

12 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 13GENERAL INTRODUCTION 市情概况

HistoryTai’an is one of cradles of Chinese civilization. The existence and

development of human beings here dates back to more than 500,000 years ago. People in Xintai, a county-level city of Tai’an, entered into the stage of Homo sapiens 50,000 years ago. The brilliant Dawenkou Culture germinated in this area 5,000 years ago, which is a landmark in the history of Chinese civilization.

For primitive worship of the sun and great mountains, the sacred Mount Tai has been the object of an imperial cult for nearly 2,000 years. Ancient emperors offered sacrifices to heaven and earth on the mountain when they

were enthroned, praying for peace and prosperity. Enshrined by such worship ceremonies, Mount Tai has attracted believers of Buddhism and Taoism, men of letters and celebrities whose residences and tours left behind numerous historic relics and made the mountain a world-renowned treasure as a house of history and culture.

Located at the foot of Mount Tai, the city of Tai’an was established in the late Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and has developed gradually as Chinese emperors made pilgrimages to the mountain.

Dawenkou Culture


Geography and NatureTai’an is located in the center of Shandong province

(35°38'~36°28'N and 116°20'~117°59'E). It is in the middle of the popular tourist route “Mountain, Spring and Sage” in Shandong, with the Spring City of Jinan, the provincial capital 60 kilometers to the north and Qufu, the hometown of Confucius 70 kilometers to the south.

Tai’an is endowed with rich natural resources. The most famous mountain in China, Mount Tai, rises majestically from the plains north of the city. It is the highest mountain in the province, with its peak, the Jade Emperor Summit, standing 1,545 meters above sea level. The 208-kilometer-long Dawen River flowing to the south of Mount Tai is the largest river in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, covering a basin area of 6,457 sq km. The scenic Dongping Lake covers an area of 627 sq km and is the second largest freshwater lake in Shandong.

Situated in the continental half-moist monsoon climate region of the Temperate Zone, Tai’an enjoys a pleasant climate with annual average temperature of 13.3℃ and annual average rainfall of 675.3mm.

PopulationTai’an has a population of 5.51 million, of which 2.83

million live in the urban area and 71,300 are of 40 ethnic minorities.

AdministrationIt administers two districts (Taishan district and

Daiyue district), two county-level cities (Xintai city and

Stone inscription of Guo Tai Min An, which means “ the peace of Mount Tai ensures the peace of the whole country”


Feicheng city), two counties (Ningyang county and Dongping county), Tai’an High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Mount Tai Scenic Area.

As the political, economic, cultural and tourist center of the city, Taishan district is rated as a National Model District for Rural Area Development, National Harmonious Model District, and National Excellent District in Public Safety. As the birthplace of Dawenkou Culture, Daiyue district has a long history with profound cultural deposits. It is the site of the Tai’an Station of Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway and Tai’an Western New Zone. Xintai ranks 23rd among China’s top 100 developed county-level cities. It is the National Advanced City for Science and Technology and Chinese Garden City. Feicheng is known as the hometown of peaches and is home to China’s first peach wooden product museum. It is a National Advanced City in Ecological Civilization Building and Chinese Garden City. Ningyang is known for its cross-stitch products and steel ball. It is an excellent pilot county for rural cooperative medical services. Dongping county is a transport hub and is home to Dongping Lake, which is an important part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the world’s longest and oldest manually canal. It is a national water conservancy scenic spot and the only remaining water area described in the Water Margin, one of the Four Chinese Classical Novels.


The beauty of Tai’an city

20 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

经济建设＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

22 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 23ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 经济建设

Overall StrengthAs China’s economy grows rapidly, Tai’an has witnessed steady

economic development, with average annual growth rate of 10 percent. In 2011, the city’s GDP was 230.43 billion yuan ($36.27billion), a year-on-year increase of 11.5 percent and per capita GDP at 41,850 yuan, up by 11.1 percent. Its fiscal revenues rose by 22.9 percent to 13.8 billion yuan and the fixed-asset investment reached 147.4 billion yuan, up by 17 percent over the preceding year. Its industrial structure has been optimized and the ratio of added value of its primary, secondary and tertiary industries was 9.3 to 52.2 to 38.5 in 2011.

Industry Tai’an holds abundant mineral deposits with 58 kinds of minerals, such

as coal, iron, rock salt, plaster, sulphurite, cement limestone and granite. It is a major producer of plaster, sulphurite and granite, with a proven reserve of sulphurite and plaster ranking first in Asia and China. Since it is believed that nothing is “as stable as Mount Tai” and “weightier than Mount Tai”, the stone form Tai’an has been used in many well-known Chinese buildings such as the Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square and Monument to the People’s

Heroes in Beijing.The city has traditional advantages in automobile, power transmission

equipment, inorganic nonmetallic materials and equipment manufacturing. Products with high market share include cross-linked cable, high-tension switch, diesel engine, weighing apparatus, hemp textile, fiber glass, and thistle board. It has fostered six China top brands, 98 Shandong top brands and 20 Renowned Trademarks of China, including Taikai Group and Taishan Group. In recent years, the city has experienced rapid developments in emerging industries, ranging from advanced materials, new energy, energy savings and environmental protections, to electronic information and Biomedicine.

TBEA Shandong Luneng Taishan Cable Co Ltd

Tai’an Youngman Automotive Co Ltd


Takai Electric Group Co Ltd


The largest phalaenopsis cultivation base in Asia Taishan Tea Garden

AgricultureThanks to a favorable natural environment, Tai’an has realized robust

growth in modern agriculture and has fostered six pillar industries, including quality grain, vegetable, fruit, livestock, flowers and silkworm. Its organic vegetables top China in production, output, and exports. It is home to 628 agricultural enterprises above designated size, 3 among which are state-level leading agricultural producers. They generate 40.46 billion yuan in sales revenues and 4.74 billion yuan of pre-tax profits. It is an advanced model city for modern water conservancy, the only one of its kind in Shandong.


ServicesThe modern service sector is one of the city’s most competitive

industries. In 2011, the growth of added value of the service sector was 3 percentage points over national GDP growth and contributed 46.5 percent to local economic growth. With a booming market for consumer goods, the

city’s wholesale, retail, lodging and catering industries generated 16.56 billion yuan, 54.06 billion yuan, 1.57 billion yuan and 8.48 billion yuan in revenues respectively. The financial sector has grown steadily, with outstanding deposits, hitting 156.36 billion yuan and balance of loans 104.32 billion yuan by the end of 2011.

RT-MART

30 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA

SOCIETY CONSTRUCTION

社会建设＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

32 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 33SOCIETY CONSTRUCTION 社会建设

People’s LivelihoodAs the Chinese economy continues to grow rapidly, the life

quality of urban and rural residents in Tai’an is improving. The average personal disposable income of urban residents in 2011 was 22,687 yuan and the average consumption per head was 14,888 yuan, up by 13.7 percent and 10.9 percent over the preceding year respectively. The average personal income of rural residents in 2011 was 8,974 yuan and the average consumption per head was 4,855 yuan, rising by 18.2 percent and 13.6 percent respectively. The average income per head for employed staff was 35,415 yuan, growing by 14.6 percent. The social security network, such as insurances for pension, medical care, unemployment, injuries on job posts and maternity, is covering more residents. Pension insurance has already covered all urban and rural population in Tai’an, making it among the first batch of pilot cities in this field in the country.

Leisure Morning practice


Science and EducationThe municipal government seeks to revitalize Tai’an through science and

technology and introducing talents in various fields. Output value of high-tech industries contributed 21.3 percent to overall productivity of industries above designated size in 2011, rising by 1.2 percentage point year-on-year. Tai’an boasts of 59 national high-tech enterprises and 231 awards of science and technology at or above the provincial level. It is entitled, “Top 50 Innovative Cities of China” and “the National Advanced City of Science and Technology Progress”.

Local education is outstanding among all cities in Shandong. There are nine universities and vocational education colleges in the city, such as

Shandong Agricultural University, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Taishan Medical University, Taishan University and Shandong Vocational Institute of Clothing Technology. More than 98,000 students and 6,289 teachers were studying and working in these schools in 2011. There are 11 academician workstations, which invited 17 academicians from Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering. The city also has 15 international science and technology cooperation platforms. In 2011, local government invested 4.07 billion yuan in education. All school-age children are receiving education at schools and the literacy ratio of local population hit 100 percent. About 96.5 percent junior middle school graduates continue studying in higher middle schools.

Shandong Agricultural University


Graduation Happy classroom

The children play a game


Health and SportsTaking advantage of its picturesque landscape, Tai’an

government tries to build an ecological city for a healthy life. The city has 1,082 medical agencies, among which 86 are hospitals, nine disease prevention and control organs, seven health care agencies for women and babies, eight special disease treatment agencies. Mount Tai, one of the most famous mountains in China, has rich resources of Chinese herbal medicine, such as polygorum multiflorum, four-leaf ginseng, polygonatum and lithospermum, which are known as the four most famous herbal medicines of Mount Tai to improve people’s health.

Careful diagnosis and treatment Tai’an Center Hospital


Zhang Juanjuan and Wang Feng, Beijing Olympic champions, are lighting the sacred flame for the 11th National Games.

Tai’an has hosted national and international sport events for soccer, volleyball, dragon boat, bicycle race and Taijiquan (Chinese shadow boxing). Tai’an is an important station for the torch relay of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The famous diver Wang Feng from Tai’an won a gold medal for double diving on the 3-meter board in the Beijing Olympic Games. In 2009, the torch fire of the 11th national sports meeting of China was obtained on top of Mount Tai. The 17,000-square-meter gym building, which costs 80 million yuan, is already in use and open to local residents.

Bi Wenjing, former gymnastics world champion and Tai’an athlete, runs in the Olympic Torch Relay.


Taishan Stage of the 2010 Tour of China International Cycling Race


Tai’an Station of Beijing-Shanghai High-speed Railway Criss-cross road networks

Transport and Communication As an important traffic hub in East China, Tai’an is connected

with a convenient traffic network of highway, railway and airlines. It is one stop on the high-speed railway connecting Beijing and Shanghai and has about 40 bullet trains each day. It takes two hours to go to Beijing and about three hours to Shanghai from Tai’an. The overall length of the road in the city is more than 14,000 km, among which 232.7 km is highway. Beijing-to-Shanghai Highway and Beijing-to-Taipei Highway meet in the city. The Qingdao-to-Lanzhou Highway under construction also goes through Tai’an. It’s about a 90-minute drive to Jinan International Airport and 4-hour drive to Qingdao Port.

The city’s telecommunication sector is developing fast. The number of fixed-line phone of Tai’an in 2011 was more than 1 million and the number of mobile phone users was 5.2 million. The city’s main urban areas are covered with wireless broadband Internet with 551,000 families having access to the network.


CULTURE DEVELOPMENT

文化建设＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

48 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 49CULTURE DEVELOPMENT 文化建设

Cultural IndustryMount Tai provides Tai’an

with the most valuable resources to develop local cultural industry and other service industries in the media, entertainment, arts, exhibition and tourism. Key cultural industrial projects have been launched in recent years, including Fantawild Adventure of Tai’an, an outdoor performance of Worship Ceremony on Mount Tai, Taishan Flowers Scenic Spot and Water Margin Film Shooting Base. Taishan Conference and Exhibition Center, Tai’an Newspaper Industry Center, and Tai’an Culture and Arts Centre, and some scenic spots are under construction. Four of China’s top 30 cultural enterprises have built branches in the city. The added value of its cultural industry hits 9.6 billion yuan, accounting for 4.2 percent of the GDP.

Taishan Fantawild Adventure


The grand outdoor performance of “ The Worship of Heaven and Earth on Mount Tai”


National music concert Taishan Huayun

Cultural facilitiesTai’an has seven public libraries

and seven arts galleries and cultural centers, three museums and three cultural protection agencies. It boasts of nine national intangible cultural heritages, such as Shigandang of Mount Tai, Mount Tai temple fair, Taishan shadow puppet play and Shandong Bangzi opera. The famous stone from Mount Tai, Shigandang, is widely seen in buildings of Hang Kong, Taiwan, the United States and Japan to protect houses from disasters as believed in a local traditional custom. Taishan Nationalities Orchestra performed a concert of Taishan music in the National Grand Theatre. Taishan shadow puppet show was performed in the intangible cultural heritage show held in Beijing in 2007 and won the top award of the Heritage Day issued by the Ministry of Culture. Fan Zhengan, a practitioner of the art of Taishan solo puppetry, Shi Bu Xian, literally “busy doing 10 things at once”, once performed the show for Premier Wen Jiabao who praised it as “China’s Unique Skill”.


Fan Zhengan is playing Taishan solo puppetry Shandong clapper opera Bixiayuanjun


URBAN CONSTRUCTION

城市建设＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

58 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 59URBAN CONSTRUCTION 城市建设

Based on its cultural, environmental and tourism resources, Tai’an pays attention to green development and has expanded the city to the east and the west, while building new zones in the south and upgrading infrastructure construction of the old city, making good use of all historical, cultural and natural resources of the city. Many new projects for local residents and tourists have been put into service, such as the new Tai’an Railway Station of Beijing-Shanghai Speedy Railway and its square, Taishan Peach Blossom Valley and Tianwaicun village service center for tourists. The road encircling Mount Tai won the Lu Ban Prize, the top award in construction field in China. The Tai’an New Zone covers an area of 9.4 million sq m and has 2.47 million sq m roads and 2.67 million sq m of green land. The city now has a population of 2.835 million and the urbanization rate is 51.4 percent.

Local residents’ living environment has been enhanced in recent years. The sewage water treatment rate hits 90.1 percent and the hazard-free treatment rate of household garbage reaches 100 percent. Tai’an has six national natural reserves of 55,000 hectares. The forest coverage is 37.8 percent. More than 40 towns are

Top view of Daimiao Temple


entitled as national or provincial ecological towns, among which seven are national, 33 are provincial. Tai’an is entitled the National Garden City and the National Water Saving City. Its application to be the National Hygiene City is under review by relevant authorities. Xintai and Feicheng cities, which are part of Tai’an, are entitled the National

Garden City as well. Ningyang and Dongping counties have improved their air quality and reduced pollutants discharged remarkably for years. Its energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP dropped 3.95 percent in 2011, making Tai’an one of the most excellent energy saving cities in Shandong.

Taishan Tianyuandifang Square


Nanhu Park

Donghu Park

Beautiful inhabited environment


OPENING-UP

对外开放＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

66 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 67OPENING-UP 对外开放

Opening-upTai’an is one of China’s the first batch of opening-up tourism cities

earmarked in 1982. Leaders and higher-rank officials from more than 80 countries and regions have visited the city, including Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, Kim II-sung of Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kim Dae-jung of Republic of Korea, Herma Kirchschlager of Austria, Patrick Hillery of Ireland, George P. Shultz of the US and Douglas Hurd of the United Kingdom. Tai’an has made business-ties with 136 countries and regions in the world and has become sister-city with nine cities in eight countries and partner-city with nine cities in eight countries. Mount Tai is the sister-mountain with the Alps, the Fujiyama in Japan and Mount Halla in Republic of Korea and friendly-park with the Redwood National Park in California of the US. Societies, schools and hospitals in Tai’an have friendly cooperation with 51 counterparts in 16 countries. Tai’an has four provincial-level brands for export and three science and technology innovation bases for export.

Former King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia visits Tai’an

Fomer US Secretary of State George Pratt Shultz visits Tai’an

Former President of Republic of Ireland Patrick John Hillery visits Tai’an


Li Hongfeng, secretary of the Tai’an Municipal Committee of the CPC, visits Taean in the Republic of Korea

Wang Yunpeng, mayor of Tai’an Municipal People’s Government, visits guests from Finland


The opening ceremony of the Week of China Tai’an in the Republic of Korea Taishan Summit of World Famous Mountains Cooperation


China Mengniu Dairy Tai’an Co Ltd Tai'an High - tech Industrial Development Zone

Tai’an High-Tech Industrial ZoneAs one of the top ten high-tech industrial development zones

endorsed by its home province Shandong authority, Tai’an High-tech Industrial Zone is a demonstration zone of scientific development and an advanced opening-up zone in Shandong.

The zone focuses on developing industries including automobile and parts, mechanical equipment, medicine and new materials. It is one of China’s top production centers for power transmission and transformation equipments and new nonmetal materials, and a provincial automobile and parts production base.

It is home to a national high-tech innovation service center, a technological incubation center for academics and an innovation park for overseas students.


TRAVEL IN TAI’AN

泰安旅游＞＞＞＞＞＞＞

76 中国泰安 TAI’AN,CHINA 77TRAVEL IN TAI’AN 泰安旅游

Scenic SpotsSituated at the base of Mount Tai, Tai’an is endowed with

rich tourist resources and is rated as one of the first batch of Excellent Tourist Cities in China. About 37.279 million person times of tourists visited the city in 2011, bringing in 31.87 billion yuan in revenues. The two figures rose 22.2 percent and 25.7 percent year-on-year. Among these visitors 353,000 person times were foreigners, growing by 18.2 percent, generating $218.52 million revenue for the city, soaring 18.9 percent.

Mount Tai Chinese emperors for more than 2,000 years

have worshipped Mount Tai. It has been a source of inspiration of Chinese artists and scholars, as well as an epitome of the history and culture of the Chinese nation.

Mount Tai covers an area of 426 sq km, with its peak, the Jade Emperor Summit, standing 1,545 meters above sea level. It has been listed as a national 5A (highest class) scenic spot, the Global Geopark and World Natural Heritage Site due to its unique geology and natural scenery. It is a World Cultural Heritage Site, because, as the spiritual home of the Chinese nation, it is home to a rich collection of cultural relics and historic sites. From the foot of the mountain to the summit, there are more than 7,000 steep steps, 58 ancient temples and 2,200 stone tablets with a history dating back thousands of years. The mountain, with forest coverage of over 90 percent, is home to almost 20,000 century-old trees. The legend of Mount Tai, Taishan temple fair, Shigandang of Mount Tai, and Taishan shadow puppet play have been listed as national intangible cultural heritage sites.

In ancient China, Mount Tai was regarded as a place where Taishan Sunrise


Daguan Summit


emperors received orders from Heaven. According to history, before the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) there were 72 Chinese monarchs offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth on Mount Tai. From Qin Dynasty to Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), there were 12 emperors holding worship ceremonies on the mountain, including Emperor Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty, Wu Di of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), Gao Zong and Xuan Zong of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), as well as Zhen Zong of the Song Dynasty (AD 960-1279). These ceremonies became a symbol of the country’s unity and people’s well being.

Mount Tai has long been sacred to Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. These groups co-exist in harmony and temples and shrines of their own have been built on the mountain. Bixia Temple on the peak was built in 1009. Its main hall, covered with bronze tiles, houses the statue of Bixia Yuanjun, the Goddess of Mount Tai. Buddhist temples scattered on the mountain include Puzhao Monastery, Divine Rock Temple, Bamboo Forest Temple and Jade Spring Temple. The Confucius Temple on the mountain is a major place to spread the sage’s thoughts to tourists from all over the world. The mountain inspires many famous artists and poets who have left numerous poems and inscriptions here, such as Du Fu and Li Po, the great poets of the Tang Dynasty.

Mount Tai is famous for its sunrises, sunsets, old pines, Buddha’s halo, sea of clouds and soft rime views. The pine tree with high resistance to cold has become a symbol of indomitable courage. The rich water resources; dense vegetation, various flowers and fruits make Mount Tai a beautiful painting scroll.

In 2011, Mount Tai received 4.59 million tourists, a year-on-year increase of 16 percent.

Bixia Temple


Sisters Pines

Guest-greeting Pine

Tianzhu Waterfall


Mount Culai National Forest Park Situated southeast of Mount

Tai, Mount Culai, with 99 rolling peaks, rises 1,028 meters above sea level and covers an area of 250 sq km. It is rated as a National Forest Park and a Global Geopark. It is said that the great Tang Dynasty poet, Li Po, and his counterparts once secluded themselves on the mountain. Mount Liangfu in the scenic area is the place where ancient Chinese emperors had held worship ceremonies for the Earth. Two cliffs carved with the text of Buddhist sutra are amazing. It is a revolutionary tourist spot, where a Memorial Stele to Anti-Japanese Armed Revolutionary Martyrs of Mount Culai was set up. Additionally, the ski resort with a spa holiday hotel at the foot of the mountain is becoming a popular tourist destination and attracting increasing numbers of visitors.

Dawenkou Cultural Relics The historic site of Dawenkou Culture

is located in Daiyue district in the south of Tai’an. It can be traced back to the Late New Stone Age in the primitive society 4,400-6,300 years ago. It is regarded as one of the important cradles of Chinese civilization.

Lotus Mountain Forest Park Lotus Mountain, located in Xintai

city, is famous for its Guan-yin (the Chinese bodhisattva) tour and noted as one of the most famous Buddhist cultural tourist attractions in North China. The 999-meter-high mountain features unique natural scenery--lofty peaks, enchanting rocks, verdant pine trees, and sweet spring waters.

As a National Forest Park and a Global Geopark, it is the most famous Buddhist cultural tourist attraction in Shandong. It is home to the biggest indoor golden Guan-yin Bodhisattva Statue in the country and a natural Guan-yin statue formed by weathered granite. A local temple fair is held here from the lunar June 1 to 6 every year.

Peach Orchard in Feicheng Feicheng, known as hometown of

peaches in China, has a history of planting peaches for more than 1,000 years. The peach orchard covers total area of 6,667 hectares, which has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the largest in the world. An annual peach

blossom festival is held in Feicheng from March to April.Other scenic spots in the city are popular, such as Mount Niushan, Mount

Taoshan, Mount Yunmeng and the Peach Wooden Tourist Commodity Town, which is rated as one of the top ten best shopping centers in Shandong.

Mount Shentong Forest Park The park in Ningyang county is a

provincial demonstration base for eco-agricultural tourism. The park is at its best in the fall, when thousands of tourists come here to pick pears and jujubes.

Ningyang is known as the village of crickets. A national cricket-fighting competition is held here in September annually. The county is home to numerous tourist attractions, such as Mount Luoxing, the largest debris of aerolites in the world, Lingshan Temple, Yuwang Temple, the Temple and tomb of Yan Hui, a famous disciple of Confucius.

Dongping Lake Located in Dongping county, Dongping Lake is the

second largest freshwater lake in Shandong, covering total area of 627 sq km. It is an important part of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the world’s longest and oldest artificial waterway. It is a national water conservancy scenic spot and the only remaining water area described in the Water Margin, one of the Four Chinese Classical Novels.

There are numerous cultural relics around the lake, including Mount Lashan National Forest Park, stone inscriptions on Mount Hongding, Dao Tunwa National Wetland Park, Mount Baifo and other sites related to the novel.

Dongping Lake Wetlands


Tourist ProjectsTaishan Fantawild Adventure With an investment of two billion

yuan, Taishan Fantawild Adventure opened to the public in 2010. Covering 400,000 sq m and featuring more than 30 tourist attractions, it is a large-scale high-tech themed park and is regarded as the “Disneyland of China”. About 1.5 million tourists visited the park in 2011, bringing in 286 million yuan in revenues.

Taishan Fantawild Adventure The grand outdoor performance of‘‘The Worship of Heaven and Earth on Mount Tai”

The live show “Worship of Heaven and Earth on Mount Tai” The 80-minute grand outdoor performance depicts ancient emperors of the Qin, Han, Tang, Song and Qing dynasties paying homage to the Heaven and Earth, praying for peace and prosperity for the nation.

The performance brings ancient culture of the mountain to life and helps visitors to understand rituals and feel more involved with historical events. It is performed on Mount Tai regularly.


Dongping Water Margin Film Shooting Base

Taishan Yalongwan Water Park

Taishan Flowers Scenic Area Located in the east of Tai’an,

it is an eco-agricultural scenic spot, integrating sightseeing, fruit picking, entertainment, exhibition and trade. It is home to numerous scenic spots, including Asia’s largest planting base for Moth Orchid, Yalong Bay Water Park, and tropical fruit gardens. About 450,000 tourists visited it in 2011, generating 58 million yuan in revenues.

Water Margin Film Shooting Base The base, located near

Dongping Lake, has been home to popular TV offerings such as the new version of the Water Margin and the legend of swordsmen. Covering an area of 32,000 sq m, it has an ancient town and many buildings looking like those in the early Chinese dynasties of the Qin (221-206 BC), Han (206 BC-AD 220), and Song (AD 960-1279) periods. These sites are frequently used to shoot movies based on those times.


Colorful FestivalsInternational Mount Tai Climbing Festival Since 1987, the

International Mount Tai Climbing Festival has been held in September annually. It is a comprehensive event integrating mountain-climbing competition, trade, art and cultural tourism. It attracts mountain climbing competitors and fans of different ages from various regions and countries.

The event is a bridge for Mount Tai to communicate with the world. The World Famous Mountain Cooperation Summit is held during the festival, to promote Mount Tai’s reputation abroad.

Mount Tai Dongyue Temple Fair The fair has been held on the

28th day of the third lunar month annually, to celebrate the birthday of the god of Mount Tai. The tradition can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, more than 1,000 years ago. Today, it has developed into the most influential temple fair in Shandong and was inscribed in the list of Intangible Heritage of China. The folk games, religion rites, and folk tradition can be found at the fair.

Feicheng Peach Blossom Tourist Festival The peach orchard in

Feicheng covers total area of 6,667 hectares. In spring when flowers are in full bloom, the city becomes a sea of pink flowers. In autumn, visitors can smell an aroma of peaches. The Peach Blossom Tourist Festival has been held annually since 2002.

Ningyang Cricket Cultural Festival Ningyang cricket is famous

for its large size, strong jumping ability and fighting nature. The Cricket Cultural Festival has been held in Ningyang annually. It features a national cricket fighting contest, cricket auction, cricket culture seminar, exhibitions as well as other cultural and tourist activities.

Dongping Dragon Boat Competition The history of the dragon

boat competition in Dongping Lake dates back to 400 years ago, when fishermen mainly played the game. It has gained popularity, becoming one of

Mount Tai Climbing Festival

the most important local sports and cultural events.The Dongping International Dragon Boat Competition has drawn teams

from more than 20 countries and regions, including the United States, France, Portugal, South Korea and Japan.


Local SpecialtiesThere are various kinds of souvenirs in Tai’an, such as medicinal herbs,

stones of Mount Tai, and Local specialties. Polygorum multiflorum, four-leaf ginseng, polygonatum and lithospermum are the four most famous herbal medicines from the region. The famous stone of Mount Tai, Shigandang, is believed to have power of driving away ghosts and disasters. Chestnut, pancake, walnut, pomegranate, cherry, Feicheng peach, as well as Ningyang red jujube and pineapple are typical local food. Additionally, Jades of Mount Tai, peach wooden products, potteries of Dawenkou Culture and summer sleeping mats are must-buy products.

Feicheng peaches

Peachwood accessories

Taishan Bonsai

Taishan Ganoderma LucidumTaishan Red Pomegranate

Taishan Wonder Stone

Taishan Jade


The Tai’an municipal government will develop

the city in an all-round way and help local residents

enjoy happier lives. Modern agriculture, manufacturing

industry and modern service sector are important for

the city’s future, economically and environmentally. To

keep a good balance between population growth the

consumption of public and natural resources, the city

authority would continue to emphasize human-oriented

development and pay attention to improve the social

security network, public service level and sustainability.

The local government would strengthen its industrial

structure, and make it a much better place to live by the

end of 2015.

CIP DataChina Tai’an 2012/ Yang chengxiu,Editor-in-chief.—China Culture Publishing

House, 2012.11

ISBN 978-988-79202-7-4/Z.1235

Ⅰ .Chinese… Ⅱ .Yang… Ⅲ .Local Culture. Tai’an-China- Contemporary

Ⅳ .2613

China Culture Publishing House CIP Data (2012) No.20120470

Editor in Chief: Yang Chengxiu

Deputy Editor in Chief: Guo Tao

Editors: Cao Kehe, Ding Min, Xu Chuanzhou

Photogrepher in Chief: Wang Dequan

Photogrephers:Chen Yong,Han Lin,He Andong,Hu Lidong,Jiang Weichang,Peng Tao,Qi Gaofeng,Shi Panqi,Si Gang,Sun Kai,Wang Jingwen,Wang Lishan,Wang Tianjun,Wu Zhe,Xia Limiao,Xie Jiujiang,Yao Qunsheng,Zhai Jian,Zhang Dong,Zhang Jiesheng,Zhang Rendong,Zhang Ruiquan,Zheng Xiaomin,Zhou Changzheng,Zhu Hong

Copywriter: Liu Xiangjun, Cao Kehe, Wang Bin, Ding Min

Translator: Wang Qian, Tom McGregor

Design: Qi Gaofeng,Xin Lining

Publication: China Culture Publishing House

Printing: Jinan New Pioneer Printing Co Ltd

Graphic design: Tai’an City Fashion Culture Media Center

Size: 787×1092mm 1/32

Printed Sheets:3Volume:1~5000Copies

Revision:First printing for first published on November 2012.

Book No.:ISBN 978-988-79202-7-4/Z.1235

Price:15.00yuan

Documents

To promote a prosperous and happy Tai'an